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Jane Goodall to Speak at Adelphi About “Making A Difference” on April 9

News, Press Release

World renowned primatologist and humanitarian, Jane Goodall will deliver remarks about her experiences and work that has inspired action on behalf of endangered species and the planet, on Monday, April 9, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., in Adelphi University’s Center for Recreation and Sports, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, NY. Her presentation, “Making A Difference,” will focus on encouraging people to do their part to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment.

With a longstanding career in research that has broken boundaries, Goodall is best known for her study of chimpanzee life in Gombe Stream National Park which began in 1960. Without a formal degree, Goodall went on to study the chimps for 45 years publishing two overviews of observations on new and exciting concepts of chimpanzee life. Goodall was the first to identify human traits in chimpanzees on an emotional level such as feelings and exchanges of affection and aggression. She is still to date the only human to be accepted into a chimpanzee community.

Also a diverse author, Goodall has published nine children’s books, a memoir of her spiritual life, an environmentally conscious nutritional advice book, and two collections of personal letters illustrating her early years. Ever an influential force in the media Goodall has appeared in numerous television documentaries including: Jane Goodall: Beauty and the Beasts, 60 Minutes, Iconoclasts, A Life In the Wild, The Natural World, and Among the Wild Chimpanzees.

“It is easy to be overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness as we look around the world,” Goodall maintains on her website, janegoodall.org “We are losing species at a terrible rate, the balance of nature is disturbed, and we are destroying our beautiful planet. We have fear about water supplies, where future energy will come from – and most recently the developed world has been mired in an economic crisis. But in spite of all this I do have hope.” Goodall’s creed includes four factors for environmental change: the human brain, the indomitable human spirit, the resilience of nature, and the determination of young people.

In 1977 Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a wildlife conservation dedicated to the welfare of all living things through engaging the environmentally dedicated youth around the world. While preserving the communities of apes is her primary passion, Jane Goodall also aims to improve the lives of local people in communities. Over 5.7 million acres of sub Saharan Africa have been impacted by JGI projects including reducing carbon deforestation emissions, removing land snares, and creating migratory corriders for protected endangered lands. A highlight among their projects has been bringing water to the Congo Basin providing protected accessible springs to over 9,000 surrounding villages. Since then the population in that area has seen a tremendous decrease in disease. The JGI also addresses human issues on a personal level providing communities with HIV/AIDs healthcare and counseling, agricultural employment, and small business loan programs. Under the JGI in the Democratic Republic of Congo there are currently over 1,600 trained healthcare workers.

The JGI’s dedication to chimpanzees reached new heights when they established the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo in response to the illegal bushmeat and pet trade of chimpanzees. With over 140 chimpanzee residents to date, the Center provides a safe and healing neighborhood specializing in veterinary care and rehabilitation for traumatized and maltreated chimps. It also serves as a healthy employment and environmental education opportunity for the people of the surrounding communities. Since 1990, 261 chimps have been rescued by the JGI. With branches in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and the United Kingdom, the Jane Goodall Institute has inspired people from all walks of life to be humanitarian leaders.

Tickets for “Making A Difference” are $10.00 and $25.00 depending on seating. Discounts include $7.00 for Adelphi students who can present an I.D. For more information on reserving tickets, visit events.adelphi.edu/culturalevents/jane-goodall.php or contact the Cultural Events hotline at 516.877.4555. For more information on Jane Goodall and JGI visit janegoodall.org.

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Adelphi University is a nationally ranked, doctoral research university offering exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training with particular strength in its Core Four—AU Arts and Humanities, AU STEM and Social Sciences, AU Professions, and AU Health and Wellness.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1896, Adelphi was one of the first coeducational institutions of higher education in New York State and is Long Island’s oldest private coeducational university. Today Adelphi serves nearly 7,500 students from 38 states and 46 countries at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York—just 23 miles from New York City’s cultural and internship opportunities—and at dynamic learning hubs around the state (New York City, the Hudson Valley and across Long Island) and online.

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